“Happy or sad, sorbet and cocktails are my go-to,” said Demitria ‘Demi’ Dana Paramita, award-winning mixologist and founder of sorbet-slash-cocktail-space, HATS. Judging by the crowd flocking to the newly-opened space, many seem to relate.
A new addition to the Iskandarsyah strip, the neighbour to Kurasu “Kissaten” flaunts an inviting red facade. At the front, it’s all about gelatos and sorbets, with imaginative flavours such as Markisa Terong Belanda to Demi’s childhood snack-inspired Pina Colada Bika Ambon. A hint to what patrons can find at the bar, Demi also comes up with non-alcoholic, cocktail-inspired flavours such as the Pear Makgeolli and Negroni Sour, the latter packing a zesty, bitter punch that’s nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
“We wanted to explore this duality of experience,” explained Demi. “As a pastry chef by day and mixologist by night, we wanted to put the two together in one space.” Past through the doors, the bar area greets patrons with a moodier, dimly-lit set-up, snug with leather stools and sofa. The ambience of the bar, heightened by the red, lit backdrop that is purposely designed for coming visitors to experience “the progression of the colour red”, also flows to the menu. Moving from lighter, playful notes of Rose and Scarlet, to deeper, more intricate flavours in Ruby and The Red Carpet, each hue reflects a different level of complexity.
Similar to the sorbets, a few of the cocktails also draw inspiration from flavours Demi enjoyed as a kid. Take the Demi Gembira for one, which swaps the typical red-hued pandan syrup found in the traditional drink of Soda Gembira with lacto-fermented strawberry cardamom cordial, further laced with peach soda and topped with a scoop of the Vanilla Black Olive.
Navigating the expansive menu at HATS can be a bit overwhelming for first-time visitors. However, depending on the flow of the night, The Red Carpet, which boasts Demi’s award-winning creations, might be a good place to start.
Take the one-ingredient Nira for instance. Centred around the traditional palm flower sap, the drink begins with the aroma of smoked cloves that primes the palate for notes of coconut and the sweet-sour tones from the lontar fruit, delicately mixed with gin. Only once you place the drink back on the table, the smokey notes linger in your tongue, just long enough until you pick up the glass for another sip.
Another crowd favourite, the Assam Laksa—which ranked in the Top 6 at the Monin Cup Professional Asia Pacific 2016—dares to be both food and cocktail. Inspired by Demi’s go-to comfort food from her university days, Penang laksa, the drink is presented in a bowl of cucumber noodles bathed in a distinctly tangy, fragrant broth of assam juice, lime, ginger, and torch ginger flower. Demi recommends dunking the noodles before eating them, then sipping the broth as one would a soup, taking in the refreshing yet slightly sour broth with hints of sweetness and umami.
It’s clear that Demi’s strength lies in her ability to layer flavours subtly, masking their complexity in a way that is remarkably simple. Favouring nuanced and balanced flavours over punchy sensations, her cocktails are characterised by their quality of surprise that only heightens the more you drink.
“We want HATS to be a place where people can stop by before they head home, wait out the traffic, and just unwind over our drinks and sorbets,” shared Demi. There’s no rules to the game; happy or sad, sorbet or cocktails, it’s up to patrons to choose which hat to put on.
